Out of My League
by Queen of Kaos
Summary: Randy Orton intended on being a bad boy bachelor forever. But when he met Hayden O'Neal, he began to change without even realizing it. One Shot of Pure Orton Fluff.


**Out of My League**

**A/N: So as most of you know, my sister got married on Saturday. And now, I'm in a fluffy love kinda mood. So I used the song that my brother-in-law sang to my sister when she walked down the aisle as inspiration and created this piece of (virtually) drama-free fluff. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

"You have a nice day now." Hayden O'Neal bent her head and shuffled the stack of papers in front of her, moving them quickly to the side before raising her gaze to the next customer. "Can I help you?" A knowing smile spread over her lips. "What are you doin' here?" 

From his place on the other side of the counter, an arrogant smirk spread over Randy Orton's face. Sliding his papers to the bank teller, he brushed his fingers against hers. "Um, making a withdrawl?"

Her sapphire eyes twinkled as her eyebrow shot up. "Why?"

Sometimes he blessed the day he was placed on a 60-day suspension. Had it not been for the boredom of being confined to his St. Louis home with nowhere to go, and nothing to do, he would have never stepped foot inside the Commerce Bank, never would have met the woman who turned his world on its ear. He would have never noticed the way the lights danced over the silken strands of her blonde hair. He would have never known the jolt in his stomach when her bright grin broke the plane of her cherubic face, or the way her eyes twinkled when her lilting laughter floated throughout the otherwise empty lobby.

"That how you treat your customers, O'Neal?" he challenged, shaking his head and tapping on the check.

"You're not a customer. You're my boyfriend," she challenged, crossing her arms over her chest, as though to tell him he couldn't wiggle his way out of this one.

"Ya know, most guys would be hurt. I been gone for almost three weeks. We don't see each other. We barely have time to talk. And when I come back to surprise you, you don't even seem happy to see me." His bottom lip pouted out as he held her gaze in his, willing her to bend to his way of thinking.

But they both knew that the only one who ever did any bending was Randy. Not because Hayden forced it on him, but because he was so whipped, it wasn't even funny. All of his friends loved to tell her that they had never seen him so enamored with anyone, that he never treated his previous girlfriends like he treated her. The fact that he was never quick to defend himself against that allegation was proof in itself.

When Hayden rolled her eyes and stepped back from her window, he chuckled and waited for her to join him. "I have fifteen minutes," she announced, looping her arm through his and leading him toward the break room. "You weren't supposed to be home for another week. And I know because I've been crossing out the days on my calendar until I get to the big heart that says "Randy Comes Home Today." And that's a week from now."

When the door was closed, Randy heaved a sigh and perched against the edge of the table, pulling Hayden into his lap. He didn't need words, or anything else, if she was close. The feeling of her body pressed against his was enough to keep him warm on a lonely night. "Truth? I got sent home early. Probably gonna get another fine. Maybe more."

"What'd you do this time?" His tantrums and childish outbursts had annoyed her in the beginning. But Hayden was beginning to learn that Randy Orton was a good man under the boyish bluster. And he was allowing her to chip away at the immaturity slowly, becoming more of the man she knew he could be. The man she needed him to be.

"Why's it always my fault?" Randy shot with a laugh, pressing a kiss to the top of her head and inhaling deeply the floral scent of her shampoo. His eyes closed of their own accord as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tighter into his embrace. Had he been punished again? He couldn't remember. He couldn't think of anything but the tiny blond in his arms.

Hayden giggled and pushed away from his chest, staring up with him with an innocent expression that begged to be protected. She wasn't his usual ring rat. She wasn't like any woman he'd ever met. She didn't care about Randy Orton, the wrestling superstar. She barely knew who that guy was, even after more than a year of dating. "So you didn't do anything at all? Nothing to provoke them? They just decided to send you home cause they didn't need you anymore? Or were you framed?"

He was particularly taken with her hair in that moment, as Randy watched her thin fingers drag through the golden tresses, mesmerized by the action. He knew that she had just asked him a question, but he couldn't, for the life of him, remember what it was or how he was supposed to respond. Though nobody would believe it possible, she had a way of rendering him completely speechless. And when she dropped her dress shoe to the floor and ran her bare foot over his denim-covered calf muscle, he thought he might fall over. "Huh?"

Leaning forward, Hayden placed her hands on the sides of his head, her thumbs gentley dragging over his temples. "What's goin' on in your head, Orton? You just tryin' to get in trouble now?"

His tongue jutted out without warning, running nervously over his full lips. Lowering his eyes, he could feel the soft blush creeping up his neck. It was a reaction he'd always had in her presence, and one that he wished to hell he could stop. "I don't even know what I did this time," he admitted, his hands resting casually on her hips as she wove her arms around his neck and raked her nails softly over his warm skin. "We were at Cena's birthday party, and the next thing I know, shit's gettin' loud, people are fighting, and I'm bein' told to pack my bags."

Hayden leaned forward, resting her forehead against his. "Were you drinking?"

As though his mother were admonishing him for his high school escepades, he turned his head, fixing his gaze on the far wall. "It was a birthday party, Hayd," he defended, the whine in his voice rising. "Special occasion."

For months, he had been complaining that he did stupid shit when he was drunk. Though she knew it was his decision to make, she had tried to remind him that he didn't HAVE to get hammered every time he went out for drinks with the guys. She worried that he would develop a problem like the one his father had struggled with, battle the demons that so many of the men in his business fought. Most of all, she hated seeing the look of pain and self-loathing in his eyes when he told her about his hang over and the way he felt for having gone too far once again.

"So what are we lookin' at here?" she asked, lowering herself back to his thigh once again. When she rested her cheek against his chest, she couldn't help smiling at the way his heart rate excellerated. There was something comforting about knowing that she had that kind of affect over the man who had sent her pulse racing so many times in the last year. "Fine? Another suspension?" Turning her face to him, her eyes wide, she covered her mouth with her hand and whispered, "They could fire you this time."

She was right. They could. But he he couldn't worry about that. Not when her fearful eyes were begging him to make it all better. Not when she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, pleading with him to protect their future from the uncertainty that his firing would bring. Not when she needed him to get his act together for once.

"They're not gonna fire me, baby," he promised, holding her rounded cheeks with his large hands. With little movement, he leaned forward and captured her lips to accentuate his point. "I have a meeting with Vince on Wednesday, and I'll beg if I have to. Don't worry, okay?"

Wiping the stray tear that she didn't realize had formed, Hayden looked at the clock on the wall. "I gotta get back to work."

Randy nodded, his eyes trained, and fully focused, on his girlfriend as she regained her composure and sniffled back any stray emotion. She would fight and pretend that it wasn't a big deal, that she was getting used to his trouble-making. But her eyes always defied her insistence. She tried to be the strong one, and most of the time, they both knew she was. But sometimes her vulnerability shone through. Sometimes her fear over what would happen to them if he didn't shape up couldn't be contained. Sometimes it bubbled over, and it broke Randy's heart.

"I'm sorry, baby," he said, reaching for her again.

But Hayden stepped out of his graps and shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's fine, Randy. I mean, they can't afford to lose you right now, so I'm sure it'll be fine." Licking her lips, she stared at the floor and wondered if it was a good time to remind him that she couldn't afford to lose him, either. And that they wouldn't be able to afford any kind of a future together if he didn't stop pissing all of his funds away on stupid fines. "Did you wanna do dinner tonight?"

The fact that they still had to schedule dates, simple dinners, after fifteen months together, seemed ludicrous to Randy. She house sat for him every time he was out of town. Why she couldn't just stay the rest of the time, he could never understand. He would welcome her with open arms if she would just say the word. Hell, he would even let her put flowers on the coffee table and keep her smelly lotions all over the bathroom.

"Dinner sounds good," was all he said, knowing that any kind of argument would be futile.

"Kay," Hayden sniffled one last time and slipped her shoe back on her foot. "I'll pick something up on the way home. Not really in the mood to cook tonight, and I know you won't do it." With another quick kiss to his chin, she stepped back and tossled her hair, as though they'd been doing something to mess it up in the first place. "What are you in the mood for?"

The way she was looking in that moment, all vulnerable and sad? All he was in the mood for was a helping of Hayden. But he couldn't say that. Not to her. Not to his twenty-four-year-old virgin girlfriend. She found his sexual innuendos embarassing and uncomfortable, and though he wasn't sure how he'd managed to make it through more than a year without sex, he knew that he would wait another year, if he had to. He didn't like it, but he would do it. Or not do it, as the case was.

"Randy?" Her voice broke into his thoughts again as Hayden cast a nervous glance at the clock on the wall.

Just the sound of his name rolling over her lips was enough to cause an involuntary shudder from his massive shoulders. Would anyone truly understand the way he felt about her? The way she made him feel about himself? He thought that he'd been in love before, but it had never been like it was with Hayden. He'd never given up so much of what he thought he wanted, without even realizing it. All he wanted was to make her smile, to make sure that she was happy and well cared for. The other stuff, even the sex, was secondary with her.

"Hey," Hayden snapped her fingers in front of his face and licked her lips impatiently. When Randy's eyes met hers, she tilted her head to the side. "Where'd you go?" she asked, her voice soft.

Reaching for her waist, Randy pulled her back into his arms and crushed her lips with an insistent, seering kiss. One that left her eyes closed and her breathing heavy when he pulled back. "Just thinkin' about how much I don't deserve you," he winked.

But Hayden just rolled her eyes and stepped out of his embrace after another quick kiss. "You're such a dork," she laughed, pulling on the break room door. "I'll bring Bandanas over around six." She giggled at the thought of her favorite barbecue restaurant, and then blew him a kiss before she turned to leave.

He nodded slowly, his eyes drawn to his thigh, where his hand rested lightly. His hands were shaking, just enough to be visible. His heart was pounding against his ribcage. His breathing was short and labored. He was a tough guy, one who could withstand being thrown around by guys twice his own size. There was no reason that a dainty little girl should be able to wrench his gut and control him like a puppet. But dammit if every part of him wasn't willing to let her do just that.

Pulling his phone from his back pocket, he dialed a number he knew by heart and waited patiently. It had been a long and rocky road. Their relationship had been strained, at best, since day one. But there was only one question on his mind, and Randy couldn't wait to ask it. He couldn't pussy out. Listening to the insistent ringing, he tapped his foot on the floor and waited impatiently.

"Hello?" The deep voice responded distractedly.

Licking his lips, Randy cleared his throat and stood, turning his back to the door as he began to pace the small break room. "Mr. O'Neal, it's Randy Orton," he started, waiting with baited breath. "I need to ask you a question, sir."

There was a brief silence, and the muffled sounds of the other man speaking off the phone. "What can I do for you, Randy?" Hayden's father, Doug O'Neal responded heartily, his deep voice rich and textured.

"Well, sir," Randy stammered, his large hand running over his dark hair as his shoulders rose and fell with a weighted sigh. "I'm actually hoping to, uh," he stopped and took another deep breath. Damn, this was harder than smashing his ass full of thumb tacks with Mick Foley. "I want to ask Hayden to marry me, but I was hoping to get your permission first."

Another silence followed – this one longer and accompanied by a faintest sound of Doug scratching his beard with one hand. "Do you love her, Randy?" he asked finally.

Without so much as a hesitation, Randy answered with a confident, "Yes, sir. More than anything."

"Well, then," Doug shifted again, the sound of his leather chair squeaking beneath his weight, "I can't ask for anything more than that. If she'll have you, we will welcome you into our family, Randy."

He'd been crushed by four-hundred pound men, and thanked his lucky stars when they stood and relieved the pressure in his chest. But that feeling was nothing compared to the weight that Hayden's father lifted when giving his blessing for the proposal Randy had been planning for what felt like an eternity.

He'd carried the ring in his pocket for three months, waiting for it to feel right. He wanted to pop the question on her birthday, but he'd gotten himself in a little bit of trouble then, and she was mad at him. Then he thought about doing it on his birthday, but news of a steroid scandal broke, and it didn't feel right then, either. Of course, he was once again in the midst of a disciplinary issue, but he couldn't help the feeling that had clicked in his gut.

She wanted him to be better, and he wanted to make her happy. She was the only one he had ever cared about hurting. And she was definitely the only person he'd ever loved more than himself. She was the only woman he could ever imagine himself spending forever with. She was the one, and the time was right.

By the time he left the break room and waved good-bye to his girlfriend, he was formulating a plan. She would come over, bring the barbecue, and he would have the perfect proposal waiting.

* * *

Randy sat anxiously on the couch, his toe tapping impatiently as he stared at the door of his apartment. Hayden had a key. She rarely knocked. But if her hands were full, she might. And if he had to stand and open the door, it would ruin the effect he was trying to create. But if he didn't answer the door, she would get pissed at him for not helping, and that would also ruin the mood he was going for. 

After fifteen minutes of wondering and worrying on the couch, he was agitated and ready to chuck the entire idea. And then he heard her key in the lock. Pressing the button on the stereo, he stepped around the corner and took his place in the living room. As the sound of piano keys tinkering filled the house, he heard Hayden drop her things onto the entry table and call his name.

_It's her hair and her eyes today that just simply takes me away. And the feeling that I'm falling further in love makes me shiver, but in a good way. _"Randy?" When he didn't answer, Hayden cast her eyes to the rose petal trail leading her from the front door, toward the kitchen. Following it numbly, she concentrated on the words of the song playing on the stereo. It sounded vaguely familiar, like something Randy hummed when he was in the kitchen, or trying to pretend he knew how to fix things around the house.

The trail ended at the refrigerator, and she opened the door as though her body was moving independent of her brain. She had no idea where Randy was, or what was going on, but it was sweet. _Cause I love her with all that I am. And my voice shakes along with my hands. And she's all that I see, and she's all that I need, and I'm out of my league once again._

A chilled champagne flute awaited her, and Hayden nibbled on her bottom lip as she withdrew the glass and looked at the small card tied there. "A toast to you: the woman who always stands behind me, even when I fall and nearly crush you right along with myself."

"Randy?"_ It's a masterful melody when she calls out my name to me. And the world spins around when she laughs, rolls her eyes. And I feel like I'm falling but it's no surprise. _With the glass between her fingers, Hayden tucked her hair behind her ears and rounded the corner of the living room, her brow knitted in confusion. "What are you?" she began to ask when she saw Randy standing by the picture window.

Dressed in the jeans and white dress shirt she loved to see him in most, Randy cast a glance over his shoulder, to the sight of the sun beginning to dip toward the Missouri River. "You always said that you wanted it to happen at sunset. Symbollic of one day ending, peacefully waiting for the new day to dawn."

The words echoed in her mind, and Randy smiled knowingly as the tears of recognition brimmed in her eyes. He motioned for her to join him, and then dropped to his knee. _And my voice shakes along with my hands. And it's frightening to be swimming in a strange sea, but I'd rather be here than on land. _When he took her hand in his, he knew that she could feel the clammy sweat on his palm, and the way his entire body was vibrating with nervous energy.

"I had this whole speech about how good you've been for me, and how much I love you, Hayden." Clearing his throat, Randy shook his head and allowed the blush that he could feel climbing up his neck as he pulled the ring from his pocket. Tears were spilling down her cheeks, one drop at a time, as she watched his face and gripped his fingers tightly. The feeling that she was leaning on him for support seemed ironic, since he was pretty sure he'd fall on his own ass if he let her go in that moment.

When Randy continued staring at her face, but said nothing else, she licked her lips and tried not to stare at the sparkling diamond in his hand. "I can't say 'yes' if you don't ask."

The smile that split his face almost ached. The deep laughter that rumbled through his chest took him by surprise in the stillness of the moment. Without another thought, he yanked her onto his thigh and pressed his chest to her back, his hand resting easily on her hip. "Will you marry me, Hayden?"

She watched numbly as he took the ring from the box and slid it over her waiting finger. She wasn't sure what to say. "Yes" didn't seem emphatic enough. "What's more enthusiastic than 'yes'?" she asked suddenly, turning her face toward him. "Cause that's my answer."

He couldn't stop the urge to pull her to the floor, covering her body with his own and crushing her lips in a kiss of promise. When her arms slid around his neck, and he felt her leg wrapping around his, he couldn't help wondering if this was the moment. Would he finally get to celebrate the way he had always ached to celebrate the milestones with her?

When he pulled back, his eyes begging for permission, Hayden hesitated, her bottom lip worrying between her teeth as her eyes darted from side-to-side and then back to his face. "Randy," she started, her voice a trembling whisper.

"I was supposed to pour champagne," was his only response, his hand smoothing over her cheek.

Hayden blinked. "Um, okay?" Shaking her head, she ran her heel over the back of his thigh. "Except that this is kinda better," she reminded him, pulling his face back to hers.

After another few minutes of making out, Randy stood, offering her a hand and leading her back to the foyer. "Did you bring the Sweet and Smokey sauce that I like?" he asked, lifting the barbecue bag with one hand, the other still around her waist, as though the moment on the floor had never happened.

It wasn't that he didn't want to. Hell, he might even give into the temptation later in the evening. But at the moment, all he wanted was to preserve the happy smile of innocence that had been shining her eyes when she said 'yes' to their future together. Some things were just more important. Not that anyone would ever really buy that he believed that. But it didn't matter to Randy Orton what anyone else believed anymore. He could be more-than-happy knowing that Hayden believed in him, in them.

"I need to call my mom. And we need to call your parents. And my sister. And your sister. Oh, and my aunt Denise." Stopping the list, she raised an eyebrow at Randy. "What? I'm excited." With another giggle, she skipped to his side at the table and dropped a kiss on his forehead. "I'm getting married!" Another kiss fell on his nose. "To you."

He only reclined in his seat, his head turned to the side as his trademark smirk spread over his lips. "I know," he nodded, raising the bottle of water she had set in front of him. No matter how he tried to contain it, he couldn't help the laughter that bubbled from his throat. "Let's do it soon, okay? I'm not sure how much longer I can wait."

Her cheeks blazed red as she lowered her frame to the kitchen table and tore at her cornbread muffin. "Randy, I know it hasn't been easy for you. And you don't know how much I love you for waiting, for not pushing me, and not being a complete ass about it."

But he just shook his head and reached out to cover her hand. "That's not what I meant," he assured her. "I don't know how much longer I can wait to have you living here with me, bein' my wife. That's what I meant, Hayden."

She bit her lip and nodded, blushing even more wildly at her own presumption. "Oh," she whispered, meeting his eye. "What about September? Does that work for you?" Dropping her fork, she raised an eyebrow. "Think you can stay outta trouble til then? Cause I want a nice honeymoon, and you're not gonna be able to afford it if you have to keep payin' Vince."

Smirking, Randy took a bite of his sandwhich and shook his head. "For you?" He winked and swallowed hard. "I can manage." As she rolled her eyes and called him a 'dork' once again, he realized that he meant it. He would behave himself. He would do anything in his power to reign in the child lurking under the surface, and carry himself like the man she believed he could be. He would do whatever it took. For her.


End file.
